Leer stacker



June 16, 1931. G. E'. ROWE moms LEER STACKER Filed Feb'. 14. 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 E259'. I. a4

7a r [2e/venan w?. 69902' eliRowe June 16, 1991. G. E. Rowe 1,809,989

l LEI-:11 sTAcKER Filed Feb. 14. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented `lunel 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcr-J GEORGE EfROWE, F WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HARTFORD- EMPIRE COMPANY, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE LEER STACKER I Application led February 14, 1929. Serial No. 339,851.

' Stackers are mechanisms employed to receive the glass ware7 such as bottles, brought from the .fabricating machines and to dispose the same in proper array on the conveyer of the annealing leer, or other apparatus.

In one type of stacker, a displacing implement, termed a plow, is caused to pass during its working movement over the top strand of the stacker conveyor in a direction reverse to that of the movement of the latter and by means of its inclined edge shift the bottles or other ware oii' the stacker conveyer and onto the leer conveyer whereon the bottles are properly positioned by the plow.

1n some cases after a working movement the plow is caused to move in the same direction as the stacker conveyer in its return movement.

My piresent invention, relates to this type of stac er, and comprises certain new and useful improvements in the structure thereof which will hereinafter more fully appear.

One characteristic. feature of novelty in my invention is the provision of cleats on the stacker conveyer which cooperate with the plow in transferringthe ware' to the leer conveyer.

Another' characteristic feature of novelty is the dwell of the plow after the completion of a return movement and before the next working movement.

'Other-novel features of construction and also of operation will appear from the fol lowingdescription.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a particular embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of the stacker, a portion 'of its conveyer being broken away to show the conveyer chain, the conveyory of the leer being also indicated.

Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the stacker, the verticaland lower strands ofthe stacker conveyer being omitted for the sake of clearness. Y f

Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking from the right in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4-is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 in Fig. llv'but with the oscillating 1 supported by the two end uprights 2 andv the vertical cross weh rising from the base plate 4. 5 represents' a bracket' extending forwardly from one of the uprights 2.-

The frame is disposed transversely in front of the intake end of the leer.

The ends of the table 1 stops short of theuprights 2 to provide clearance for the two chain sprockets 6 and 7.

The sprocket 6 is the driving sprocket, being mounted on a shaft 8 horizontally journaled in the frame and extending to and being operatively connected with the speed reduction mechanism generally indicated at 9. The driven shaft of the mechanism 9 is coupled by a safety friction clutch 10 tota sprocket' 11 which in turn is connected by a chain 12 to the variable speed mechanism generally indicated at 13 and which in its turn is driven through the chain 14 by the motor 15. The speed reduction and variable speed mechanisms, and also the motor may besupport'ed from the bracket 5 of the frame.

The sprocket 7 is mounted on a horizontally disposed sha-ft 16 journaled in the frame.

The conveyor chain of the stacker indicated at 20 is carried by the sprockets 6, 7,

17 and 18, being driven by the sprocket 6,'

and its top or working strand running over l the table 1.

are mounted on bolts 176 and18b and carried inl slots 19 in the frame.

.By adjusting the position of the shafts 17a and 18a in the slots, and by adjusting the effective lengths of the bolts the tautness of the' conveyor may be regulated.

The stacker conveyor is formed of relatively narrow metalslats or plates 21 which are secured to the chain 20 and are disposed transversely thereto. Thel inner ends of said plates, as theypass over the table 1, slightly overlap the top strand of theV leer conveyor 22, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The Working strand of the stacker conveyor moves from left to right in Figs. 1 and 2.

At predetermined intervals the stacker conveyor is provided with cleats 23 whose ity of the stacker conveyer as it passes around its sprockets, the cleats are parted, comprising a plurality 'of complementary blocks, each secured'to a single conveyer slat 21, as shown in'Fig. 5.

The bottles, indicated b the reference numeral 24, 'are received rom a delivery conveyer, not shown, which brings them from the fabricating machine or machines, or from other means, upon a disk 25 which revolves in a clockwise direction in Fig. 1, on a vertical axis, and which may be d riven from the sprocket shaft 16 through suitable intermedia-te motion transmitting members.

26 represents a stationary arm with a curved enga-gement or working edge which cooperates with the radial cleats 27 .of .the disk 25 to deposit the bottles one at a time on the conveyer in front of and centered relatively to a conveyer cleat 23. The arm 26 is provided with an adjustable outer tip portion 28 to insure the proper spotting of the bottles on the conveyer relative to the cleats. The cleats 23 pass under the arm 26 as the top strand moves from left to right in Fig. 1.

The plow indicated at 29 is a flat and horizontally disposed plate arranged to move over the cleats 23. The working or bottle? engaging edge of the plow is opposed to the working edges of the cleats and is reversely inclined relative to the latter, so that as a cleat andthe plow are moving in opposite directions, their converging working edges cooperate to shift the bottle onto the leer conveyer 22.

The plow 29 is shown bolted to a horizontal bar 30 which is hinged as at 31 on a horizon-l tal axis to the top of a carriage v 32. The hin connection'is such that the plow normal y maintains Yits horizontal workin vposition but 4it may be swung counterc ockwise in Fig. 3 from its osition above the stacker conveyer, and tlius lifted, should glass accidentally pass'therebeneath.

The vcarriage 32 is mounted on and slidable longitudinally ofa rail 33A disposed be:- low and parallel to the table 1.

y' At either endof the frame. the sprockets f 34 and 35 are mounted on horizontal axes,

h groove o the sprocket 34 being idle on a stud shaft, while the, sprocket 35 is mounted on a horizontalshaft 36 whose inner end is journaled in a bracket 36a, Fig. 3, on the bracket 5,-

while its outer end is journaled in a bearing carried by the stand 37 which rises from the housing of the variable speed mechanism 13. A chain 38 is mounted on the sprocketsl 34 and 35, passing'around the same and havf ing its ends in its lower strand attached to either end of the carriage 32.

39 and 40 represent two gears loose on the shaft 36 and in spaced relation to each other. The adjacent faces of the gears are formed as clutch faces. 41 represents a clutch sleeve splined on the shaft 36 between the gears and slidable so as to engage the clutchface of either vgear and clutch the gear to the shaft.

The sleeve may also be moved into an intermediate and neutral position wherein both, gears remain loose on the shaft.

The sleeve 41 is shifted by means of a'clutch lever 42 pivotally mounted at 43 and 'having its infger 44 engaging the circumferential the sleeve. l

45 represents a driven shaft of the speed re duction mechanism 9 which is parallel to the 4shaft .36 and has keyed thereon the gear 46 which is in mesh with the gear 39 on the shaft 36, and also a smaller gear or pinion 47 which is in mesh with a small gear 48. The gear 48 is rotatably mounted on a removable and replaceable short shaft or pin clamped in a slot in one arm of a bell crank member 49 that is fulcrumed on the shaft Y36 so that the shaft will turn without turnber 49 is provided with a clamping bolt 50 engaging the slot of a sector 51 rising from the stand 37 to hold the member against accidental movement. The pinion 47 ma be removed and replaced by a pinion of a different size for a purpose to be presently described. The pinion 47 is shown in Fig. 1 as being retained on the shaft 45 in line with the gear 40 and in mesh with the gear48 by a spacing collar7 6 and a nut and v, isher arrangement 77 at the end of the shaft. The collar 76 may be placed on the opposite side of the pinion 47 or of a substitute pinion to maintain the pinion in line with the gear 52. The gear. 4.8 then will be mounted on the relatively short pin aforesaid, such pin bein adjusted along the slot in the arm of the be l crank lever until the ear 48 meshes with both the pinion 47 and t e gear 52.

It is ap arent that, with the arrangement shown'in igs. 1 and 2, the gears 39 and 40 are continuously rotated` but in reverse directions and therefore by shiftin theclutch sleeve into the proper position, t e shaft 36 may be rotated in the direction to move the plow either for its working movement, viz. in the direction opposite to that of the movement of the working strand of the stacker conveyor, or in its return movement, viz. in the same direction as that of the movement lof the conveyor, or the shaft 36 may be rendered idle thus causing the plow to dwell or remain stationary. v v

The ratio between the gears 40, 47 and 48, which are employed to impart to the plow its working movement, that is from right toleft in Fig. l, is such as to impart to the plow the necessary speed of travel to cause it to properly cooperate with the cleats which are movin-g inthe opposite direction to stack a transverse row of bottles on the leer conveyer' during each workin movement, and this ratio may be varied y substituting a pinion of a diderent' size for the inion 47 shown, the bell crank member 49 `seing adjusted angularly about its axis to'effect a proper meshing of the intermediate gear 48 with the particular pinion that is used at any given time.

When the limit of change permitted by the gear 40 has been reached, the pinion 47 is shifted on the shaft 45 until it is in line with the gear 52 and a relatively short pin 75 is used to support the gear 48 in mesh with the pinion 47 and the gear 52. The range of speeds thus is extended.

The ratio of thegears 39 and 46,which are employed tovimpart to the plow its return movement, is such as to cause the plow to travel at a faster rate than the conveyer cleats. y

ln Fig. 1 the clutch is shown thrown to cause the plow to travel in its return movement, that is from left to rightin Fig. 1.

Means are provided for automatically causing the plow to move in its working travel, from right to left in Figs. 1 and 2; to return in the opposite direction, and to halt for a predetermined period at the end of its return movement and before beginning the next cycle of operation.

The means which I disclose for this purpose are as follows.

An oscillating lever 53 is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends on a vertically disposed pin 78 carried by the frame. One arm of the lever 53 is provided with a pin 54 which works in an aperture 55 in the free end of the clutch-lever 42. The other arm vof the lever A53 is provided with a pin 56 which engages a spool 57 on the end of a horizontally disposed clutch-actuating shaft 58 which is mounted for longitudinal'movement in the frame. .z j 59 and 60, Fig. 2, represent a pair of coli' lars fixable on the shaft 58 as'byvset'screws and thus adjustable lengthwise of the shaft.

' rotates.

The ends ofthe carriage 32 are provided with the abutment screws 61 and 62, the screw 6l striking the collar 59 as the plow completes its working movement and the screw 62 striking the collar as the plow completes its return movement. The screws are adjustable so as to strike the collars at just the proper moments and thus obtain accurate operation under theselected timing.

The outer end of thel shaft 58, the left hand end in Figs. 1 and 2, is provided with a toothed rack portion 63 which is engaged from below by a pinion 64 rotatably mounted on a stud shaft extending from the web 3. Therefore as this shaft moves the pinion 65 represents a lever disposed radially of the axis of the pinion 64 and moving therewith. The outer end of the lever 65 is connected by a helical spring 66 with a point below on the web 3 of the frame. 1

The parts are so assembled that as the shaft 58 moves to the left to the limit ofits travel the lever 65 is swung counterclockwise to the left ofthe vertical plane of theaxis of the inion, and as the shaft 58 is moved to' the rig t to the limit of its travel the lever 65 is swung clockwise to the right of the said vertical plane, the spring thus tending to cause the shaft'to complete its movement in either direction.

67 represents a stop lever pivotally mounted, as at 68, adjacent to its rearend on a `portion of the frame, with its front end overhanging the free end of the clutch lever 42. The underside of the stop lever 67 is `provided with two spaced apart shoulders The tail of the lever 67 is in the path I of a striking cam 72 mounted on the sprocket shaft 8, so that once during each revolution of said cam and of the conveyer sprocket 6 the cam raises the front end of saidV lever so that if the free end of the clutch lever 42 has been bearing against the outer shoulder 69 of the lever 67, the clutch lever ma now be swung counterclockwise in Fig. j moving its end toward the inner shoulder70. .In the drawings the gear 39 is shown clutched to the shaft 36, thus causing said shaft to be rotated in aclockwise direction in Fig.

4 as indicated by the arrow, and the plow 29 is traveling inV its return or idle movement, toward the'right in Figs. l and 2.

l As the plow approaches the end of its return movement the abutment screw 62 strikes the collar 60 on the shaft 58, causing the shaft to move toward the right and to swing the oscillating lever 53`clockwise so that its pin 54 moves across the aperture 55 in the clutch aperture and t en swings the clutch lever counterclockwise until its free end engages the shoulder 69 of the stop lever 67.

, This movement of the clutch lever is sufficient to shift the clutch sleeve 41 into its intermediate position, thus rendering the shaft 36 idle and causing the plow 29 to halt and dwell at the end of lts return movement.

The movement of the shaft 58 due to the engagement of the abutment screw 62 with the shaft-collar 60 is sufficient to swing the arm clockwise past its vertical position, so that when the outer end ofthe stop lever 67 isnext swung upwardlyby the striking cam 72 which rotates `in unison with the stacker conveyer sprocket 6 and thev shoulder 69 is disengaged from the clutch lever 42, the

spring 66 swings the lever 65 further in a clockwise direction, thus moving the shaft 58 further toward the vright in Figs. 1 and 2, -again moving the oscillating lever 53 clockwise and causing the clutch lever 42 to -swing counterclockwise until kit is stopped by the en gagementof the clutch for the gear 40.

This movement of the clutch lever engages the clutch sleeve 41 with the gear 40, imparting a counter-clockwise movement to the shaft 36 which causes the plow 29 to travel `in its working movement which is from right to left in Figs. 1 and 2.

As the plow completes its working movement, the abutment screw 61 strikes the shaftcollar 59, moving the shaft 58 toward the left in Figs. l and 2.

This movement of the shaft 58 causes the oscillating lever 53 to swing counterclockwise into its position shown in Fig. 1, thus shifting the clutch sleeve along the shaft 36 out of engagement with the gear 40 and 1nto enga ement with the gear 39 and therebyT starting the shaft 36 to rotate clockwise and the plow to travel toward the right in Figs. 1 and 2 in its return movement.

The movement of the shaft 58 toward the left in Figs. land 2, rotates the pinion 64 counterclockwise, thus swinging the lever 65 over beyond the vertical so that the spring 66 aids in engaging the clutch.

This completes the cycle of operation of the low. P The rovision of the dwell at the termination ofp each return movement of the plow is very important.

The plow travels in its working movements at a speed of travel which is regulated tov obtain the proper cooperation with the moving stacker conveyer, and if the plow were to travel at the same speed in its return movements as in its working movements, the inevitable time loss in reversing the travel of vthe plow would change the time relation between the working movements of the plow and the` movement of the stacker conveyer during each cyclenof the plows movement.

working stroke meets and engages the first bottle at just the proper moment to begin the stacking of a row of bottles on' the leer conveyer, and then proceeds to position the bottles of the entire ro-w across the full width of the' said conveyer. The operation of the cam 72 of course is effective as a clutch operating means only for the first bottle of each transverse row.

The distance between the centers of the bottles as spaced across the leer conveyer is determined by the relation between the speed of the plow in its working movements and the speed of the stacker conveyer, and an adjustment of either of such speeds will vary this distance.

In practice, the speed of the stacker conveyer is adjusted to take care of the number of bottles delivered to it per minute, and the speed of the plow in its working movements is then adjusted by means of the gear-change provision, to produce the desired spacing of the bottles on the 'leer conveyer.

The provision of the cleats on the stacker conveyer with their inclined working edges cooperating with the inclined working edge of the plow insures a controlled and positive shifting movement of the bottles from the stacker conveyer onto the yleer conveyer, and this results in a uniform spacing ofthe bottles on the leer conveyer.

l'If the stacker conveyer were not provided wlth cleats or their equivalents, slippage of the bottles, might occur, resulting in their irregular spacing across the leer conveyer.

A curved or slightl edge of the plow provi es a better control of the movement of the bottles, maintaining them properly between the converging working edges and preventing any danger of their jumping voutwardly from the pinch.

What I desire to claim is 1. In a leer stacker, the combination of stacker conveyer to be disposed in angular .y relation to the leer conveyer, a plow arranged for reeiprocation above the working strand of thestacker conveyer, means for` moving the plow in. one direction for its working movements and in the other direction for its return movements, means for causing\the plow to dwell at the completion of its return movements, and means whereby the movement of the stacker conveyer deterconcaved working working movements and in the other direc-' tion for its return movements, means for causing the pl-ow to dwell at the end of its return movements, and means whereby the start of the workingmovements of the plow is synchronized with the travel of the stacker conveyer.

3. In a leer stacker, the combination of a stacker conveyer to be disposed in angular relation to the leer conveyer, a plow arranged for reciprocation above the working strand of the stacker conveyer, means for moving the plow in one direction for its working movements and in the other 'direction for its return movements, stop means for causing the plow to dwell at the termination of its return movements, and means operated in timed relation to the travel of the stacker conveyer for releasing said stop means.

4. In a leer stacker, the combination of a stacker conveyer to be disposed in angular relation to the leer conveyer, a ,plow arranged or reciprocation above the working strand of the stackerv conveyer, means colnprising a clutch for causing the plow to move in one direction for its workingmovements and in the other direction for its returny l movements, means whereby said clutch is thrown to start a return movement when tlie plow completes a working movement, means whereby said clutch is thrown into neutral at the completion of a return movement, and means synchronized with the travel of the stacker conveyer for throwing the'clutch to start a, working movement.

5. In a leer stacker, the combination of a stacker conveyer to be disposed in angular relationto the leer conveyer, a plow arranged for reciprocation above the working strand of the stacker conveyer, means comprising a clutch for causing the plow to move in one direction for its working movements and in the other direction for its return movements, a movable control member for said clutch, means whereby said member is moved to throw the clutch to cause a return movement of the plow as the plow completes a working movement and said member is moved to disengage the clutch when the plow completes a return movement, and means synchronized with the travel of the stacker conveyer to throw the clutch to cause a working movement of the plow. 4 v

6. In a leer stacker, thecombination of a stacker conveyer to be disposed in angular relation to the leer conveyer, a plow arranged for reciprocation above the working strand of the stacker conveyer, means comprising a clutch for causing the plow to move in one direction for its working movements and in the other direction for its return movements, a movable control member for said clutch, means whereby said member is moved to throw the clutch to cause a return movement of the plow as the plow completes a working movement and said member is moved to disengage the clutch when the plow completes a. return movement, and means operating in timed relation to the travel of the stacker conveyer for moving said member to throw theclutch to cause a working movement of the stacker conveyer.

7. In a leer conveyer, the combination of a stacker conveyer to be disposed in angular relation to the leer conveyer and comprising a chain and slats transversely disposed on said chain, parted cleats mounted in spaced relation on the stacker conveyer and comprising complementary blocks secured to individual slats, and a plow arranged for reciprocation above the stacker conveyer to cooperate with. the cleats to displace the ware from the stacker conveyer onto the leerconveyer.

8. In a leer conveyer," the combination of a stacker conveyer to bedisposed in angular relation to the leer conveyer and comprising a chain and slats transversely disposed on said chain, parted cleats mounted in spaced relation on the stacker conveyer and comprising complementary blocks secured to individual slats, said cleats having working edges inclined to the longitudinal aXis of the stacker conveyer, and a plow, having its working edge reversely inclined to the working edges of the cleats, arranged 'for reciprocation above the working strand of the stacker conveyer whereby the cleats and the plow cooperate to displace the ware from the stacker conveyer onto the leer conveyer.

Signed at Hartford, Connecticut, this 6th day of February 1929.

4 GEORGE E. ROWE. 

